Camper Workbook and Staff Devotions
Here you will find a copy of the Staff devotions. You will also find a copy of the Camper Briefing Notes. The Blanks will be filled in nightly. Please follow along, and ask your student questions when they get home. This information will be posted following the booklet the campers and staff are given. If you have questions please use the Contact Us link.
Camper Workbook Session Notes
|
Staff Devotional NotesMONDAY, JULY 18TH
FAITH – the key to your relationship with God SCRIPTURE TO READ: Hebrews 11:1-6 REFLECTION: As Christians, we are called to live each day with a vibrant faith. It was through faith that we first came to know God, and it is through faith that we live. “But the righteous will live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). Faith, among other gifts, has the capacity to radically transform our lives. After all it was Jesus Himself who said, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you’” (Matthew 17:20). Wow! Think of the words of Jesus, “Nothing will be impossible for you!” Without a solid faith in God, we begin to trust in the wrong things, and eventually “whither in despair.” God has something awesome in store for our lives, but He desires that we exhibit a strong faith in Him. Faith is a gift that comes from God. It’s not something we conjure up on our own strength. Rather, it comes when we spend time reading God’s Word (Romans 10:17). Yes, it is true, God does allow obstacles to come into life—things that seem insurmountable. Divorce, addictions, financial problems, health concerns, death, interpersonal conflict, etc . . . The list is endless! And yet, God is so faithful! Even when we are faithless, God will be faithful (2 Timothy 2:13). One of the reasons why God allows troubles and trials to come into our lives is so that we will manifest a deep-seated faith in Him. Truthfully, there is no reason to be overwhelmed, for God is always at work in our lives, circumstances, and problems. I read this caption some time ago: “Good morning! This is God. I’ll be handling all your problems today. I will not need your help. So, have a good day!” Faith acknowledges—always acknowledges—that God is always at work in our lives! He is at work in your life! Believe it! PRAYER: Dear God, thank you being an awesome God. Today, I will echo the words of the angels and elders who continuously say, “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever.” You sent your Son Jesus into the world so that I could have eternal life. I’m so thankful that I am Christian. Help me to live for you today, especially as I seek to follow Jesus, my Savior and Lord. As I follow Jesus, please grant me faith, a faith that is vibrant and transformational. I love you and desire to live a life that is fully pleasing to you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. YOUR THOUGHTS: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ In preparation for tonight read John 16:1-16 HOLY SPIRIT –Only He can make the Christian life possible! TUESDAY, JULY 19TH
GOD’S WORD – Main ingredient for something to happen! SCRIPTURE TO READ: 2 Timothy 3:10-17 REFLECTION: The Bible, God’s Word, is a great and awesome book! The Bible is a page by page unfolding of the heart and mind of God. Thankfully, God has chosen to reveal Himself to His saints, and He has done so by blessing us with this wondrous book. When we read the Bible, it’s the same as if Jesus Himself were talking to us. There is no difference between the words of Jesus and the words of the Bible, for Jesus is the living Word and the Bible is the written Word. In fact, one of the titles for Jesus is the Word. It says in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Words communicate and they reveal. They have content. They tell us what God is like. Words are the means through which God communes with believers. God still speaks to His people! This powerful dimension of our Scriptures makes the Word come alive with deep power and conviction. The Bible is not some dry religious textbook giving one facts about God. Rather, it’s a book that is very much alive. It says in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” The best thing that we Christians do when it comes to our lives lived in relationship with the Lord is to read God’s Word. As we spend time in the Bible this week, let us consider what the Bible says about itself: “The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes” (Psalm 19:7-8). Certainly, the Word transforms lives! PRAYER: Dear God, thank you for giving me your Word the Bible. As I read the Bible today, I ask that you speak to me. Communicate truth to my soul-life so that I could continue being the person who you are calling me to be through your grace. I will not let fear grip my heart. Instead, I will look to your Word for strength and encouragement. “In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise –in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” I love you Lord and ask that I would have a great day, as I continue to seek you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. YOUR THOUGHTS: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ In preparation for tonight read Luke 6:46-49 OBEDEINCE – God’s power unleashed! WEDNESDAY, JULY 20TH
PRAYER – Our time to spend with God! SCRIPTURE TO READ: Philippians 4:2-9 REFLECTION: The older that I get the more I realize that the most powerful discipline that we engage in is prayer. When we pray we are actually speaking to the God of the Universe! Prayer, in a very basic sense, can be defined as talking to God. P.T. Forsyth in a book entitled The Soul of Prayer has written, “Prayer is the powerful appropriation of power, of divine power. It is therefore creative. . . . It is energy. We turn to an active Giver; therefore we go into action.” Prayer places us in contact with God so that we “may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19). Though God does want us to present to Him our requests and supplications; prayer is much more than coming to God with our shopping lists. Prayer is communing with the Lord. Oftentimes, we think that for our prayers to be effective, they need to be long and rhetorically polished. But true prayer comes from the soul, “the fountains of our great deep.” It’s using our words and language which are unique to us to address God who looks more for sincerity of heart than he does grammatical correctness. Prayer in a sense is merely pouring out our hearts to God (Psalm 42:4). Praying a short prayer on the way to work, writing out a prayer with pen and paper at home, going for a prayer walk while here at camp will give us a deep understanding of who God is, along with a heart of purity and a mind of peace. Wedged within the middle of our Bibles is the greatest prayer manual in the world, the book of the Psalms. Jews and Christians have been praying them for thousands of years. It would be good to pray through one or two Psalms as our own prayers. Praying the Psalms will equip us to pray Biblically. Regardless of how we pray, the most important thing is that we pray – “Just do it!” PRAYER: (from Psalm 4 The Message) When I call, give me answers. God, take my side! Once, in a tight place, you gave me room; Now I'm in trouble again: grace me! hear me! You rabble—how long do I put up with your scorn? How long will you lust after lies? How long will you live crazed by illusion? Look at this: look Who got picked by God! He listens the split second I call to him. Complain if you must, but don't lash out. Keep your mouth shut, and let your heart do the talking. Build your case before God and wait for his verdict. Why is everyone hungry for more? "More, more," they say. "More, more." I have God's more-than-enough, More joy in one ordinary day Than they get in all their shopping sprees. At day's end I'm ready for sound sleep, For you, God, have put my life back together. Amen. YOUR THOUGHTS: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ In preparation for tonight read Philippians 3:1-11 FULL INTIMACY – Loving and living in Him! THURSDAY, JULY 21st
WORSHIP – The value of my friendship with a Holy God! SCRIPTURE TO READ: Revelation 4:1-11 REFLECTION: One of the greatest blessings in the world is the privilege of worship. We are called to worship the Lord, for Jesus Himself said, “True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks” (John 4:23). God seeks people to worship Him! There are many reasons why we’ve been called to follow Christ and the greatest of these centers on worship. As Christians, we are people who worship God, and worshiping God is rooted in our identity. We are worshipers! We will spend an eternity worshipping God. Warren Wiersbe defines worship as “the believer’s response of all that he is – mind, emotions, will, and body – to all that God is and says and does. . . . It is a loving response that is balanced by the fear of the Lord, and it is a deepening response as the believer comes to know God better.” Worship has to do primarily with our response to God. How could we not worship God, especially in view of who He is and the things that He done on our behalf? As with prayer so we have with worship, a wondrous resource to aid in worship, the Psalms. Consider just a few of the Psalms: “I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips” (34:1). “I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands” (63:4). “Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day” (96:2). “Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant” (135:3). “I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live” (146:2). “Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds” (149:5). It is my prayer that we would spend time today – at this beautiful camp – to worship the Lord. He is worthy! Take some time to say, “Praise the Lord!” PRAYER: (by Warren Wiersbe) Gracious Father, thank you for bringing me this far! I still have a long way to go, but I feel you are with me and that you will teach me. Deliver me from getting out of balance and divorcing my brain from my heart. I do want my worship to be intelligent, but I also want it to be fervent. May head and heart be united by your Spirit. May my “adoring response” bring joy to your heart! In the Savior’s Name, Amen. YOUR THOUGHTS: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ In preparation for tonight read Hebrews 10:19-39 FELLOWSHIP – In the true body FRIDAY, JULY 22nd
WITNESSING – Telling others what HE has done! SCRIPTURE TO READ: Acts 1:1-11 REFLECTION: As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to share our precious faith with others. Not only are we called to proclaim the good news, we are commanded to (Matthew 28:18-20). Witnessing has more to do with who we are than with what we do. Now, don’t get me wrong, we should use words to communicate to others the life-changing message of the Gospel and we should use words to pray to God on behalf of those who don’t know Jesus, for “the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). However important our words are, the brightest witness flows from a life lived in the constant power of God’s Spirit. The early disciples were called by Jesus Himself not to minister until they received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The word “power” simply means “the ability to do.” No ministry, including evangelism, will never be fruitful apart from the Holy Spirit. Witnesses simply are! They are people who are filled with the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19). If we are yielded to the Holy Spirit, we will be used in awesome ways, in ways that we never thought possible. The Spirit will empower us with courage and equip us with words to proclaim the Gospel in our own milieu. Praise God! He uses His people to reach people. May we all seek to be the witnesses who God is calling us to be. A good friend of mine once said, “If you will be the person who God wants you to be, the doing will take care of itself.” PRAYER (by Kaye Johns) Father, hear us as we ask you to rescue the lost from the domain of darkness and bring them into the kingdom of your Son. You alone can draw and enable them. You alone can send your Holy Spirit with power to convict them of the sin in their life and their need to repent and believe in your truth – that Jesus is the only way to you, that He alone is the way, the truth and the life. Father, don’t let their hearts be hardened, but open their hearts to receive your truth. Rip away any veil that covers their hearts, any false teaching that confuses their minds. Help them to hear your Word with power and conviction as the Word of God and not the word of man. Help them to believe with their hearts and confess with their mouths, Jesus is Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen. YOUR THOUGHTS: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ |